Lift Up Your Everyday

1. Think about what you do each day and how you feel

What you do and how you feel throughout the day impacts your sleep. Have you been outside? Getting out in the daylight helps regulate your circadian rhythm and helps your brain make melatonin, which helps you sleep better at night.

Have you been active? If you haven't moved enough, or if you feel overloaded by sounds, lights or touch during the day, your body will be in a state of stress, making it much harder to get to sleep.

2. Think about what else is going on in your life

It may be helpful to look at the bigger picture of what brings stress or anxiety into your day and start from there. Feeling stressed throughout the day due to other aspects of your life can trigger your body's 'fight or flight mode'. This is when your body is feeling overwhelmed, so releases adrenaline to manage the stress. It can have a negative impact on long-term wellbeing and sleep and might mean you need more than a 'simple' fix. An occupational therapist could help identify where to start.

3. Review recent changes and disruptions

If you're having difficulty sleeping when you used to sleep well, think about recent changes in your routine, stressful events, or new medical or environmental changes. Then ask yourself if you can do anything about it. For instance, if you're taking new medication with sleep disturbance as a side effect, speak to your GP to see if there's an alternative.

4. Do what works best for you

Occupational therapists take a person-centred approach because it's important that the strategy matches the person, especially if you're neurodivergent - a group that is at high risk of sleep disorders and that occupational therapists often work with. You might find watching a true crime programme, going to bed under specific bedding and then listening to horror podcasts works for you. Others might need a light on or fan blowing on them. Try different things until you find what works for you.

5. Have a consistent routine

The key is to go to bed when you're tired and get up around the same time each morning. Your body clock can then fall into its own rhythm.

Think about what you eat and drink in the evening and avoid caffeine and heavy meals close to bedtime. Alcohol and drugs may help you feel more tired in the short term, but they affect the quality of your sleep.

6. Understand your circadian rhythm

Your circadian rhythm operates over a 24-hour cycle and guides when you feel awake and when you feel sleepy. It's normal to have dips in your levels of alertness throughout the day, and that's related to the circadian rhythm. Learn to recognise what tiredness feels like for you, and (if you can) rest or get some fresh air when you become aware of it during the day. It might help you to get to sleep quicker at night too.

7. Create a wind-down routine

A wind-down routine can help slow your body and mind down. Parents often do this for children, but it works for adults too. This could include having a warm bath, brushing your teeth, getting into your pyjamas or listening to music. It'll help get your mind and body ready for bed. Consider having a morning routine too, which will help your body regulate its circadian rhythm. 

8. Limit the use of devices before bed

If you use your devices in the evening, think about switching them off half an hour before you go to bed and do something different like reading or listening to an audio book. Research has shown that reading a book helps create more calming hormones than reading on a screen. If it's not possible to put down the device, try changing the settings on your device to 'dark mode'.

9. Experiment with your environment

With all five senses in mind, try different arrangements so that your environment suits your needs. This may mean using a different pillow, a thinner or thicker duvet, opening the window, using a scented pillow spray, or investing in black-out blinds. It needs to feel right for you. If you wake up with lower back pain, you could try sleeping with pillows under your knees to help take the pressure off.

10. Focus on your breathing

Concentrate on slowing your breathing down. This will help activate the network of nerves that relax your body after periods of stress and danger (known as your parasympathetic nervous system). Taking slow, deep breaths focuses the mind on the here and now. You could try different breathing techniques, such as box breathing or listening to guided sleep meditation, sleep stories or different sounds, such as white noise. 

11. Distract yourself 

If your brain is active, try a distraction technique like going through the alphabet and naming girls' names beginning with A, B, C and so on. Or use the 'the' technique: say 'the' to yourself repeatedly for a few minutes until you drift off. Better still, list all the things you're thankful for. Concentrating on something in this way can help quieten other thoughts and help you become calm enough to sleep.

12. Write down your worries

Have a notebook and pen by your bed and jot down any thoughts that pop into your head before you go to sleep or during the night. Try to finish with something you're grateful for. The list will be there in the morning, so you don't have to worry about it while you're trying to get to sleep.

13. Don't force it

If you struggle to get to sleep, it's OK to get up - instead of lying there worrying about not sleeping. Have a hot drink, read, do something you find boring, or watch some TV (we always hear 'no screens', but if a rerun of Friends helps you to relax, it's fine). Sometimes, 20 minutes out of bed doing something else, and not worrying about sleeping, is the best way to reset and get good quality rest.